''The Parisian Woman'' is a 2013 play by Beau Willimon. It premiered at the

South Coast Repertory South Coast Repertory (SCR) is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California. Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson, is led by Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Direc ...

in April 2013 and centers on Chloe, a socialite armed with charm and wit, coming to terms with politics, her past, her marriage and an uncertain future. The play opened on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

on November 30, 2017. The play is inspired by Henri Becque’s ''La Parisienne'' ( fr).

Production history

Its premiere production was at the

, Costa Mesa, California, from April 19 to May 5, 2013, with previews from April 14, directed by

Pam MacKinnon Pam MacKinnon (born January 9, 1968) is an American theatre director. She has directed for the stage Off-Broadway, on Broadway and in regional theatre. She won the Obie Award for Directing and received a Tony Award nomination, Best Director, fo ...

. The play opened on

for a limited engagement at the

Hudson Theatre The Hudson Theatre is a Broadway theater at 139–141 West 44th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. One of the oldest surviving Broadway venues, the Hudson was built ...

starting November 30, 2017, following previews which began November 7. The play closed on March 11, 2018. The play, directed by Pam MacKinnon, starred

Uma Thurman Uma Karuna Thurman (born April 29, 1970) is an American actress and former model. She has performed in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Following her appearances on the December 1985 an ...

in her Broadway debut. ''The Parisian Woman'' went through significant rewrites since its first production at South Coast Repertory. Willimon said: “When he electiondid happen—this cataclysmic shift in the country,” says the playwright, “I felt that if I didn’t address it, the play would instantly feel anachronistic. It would be disingenuous to the here and the now to not acknowledge the fact that we’re living in a very different landscape.”

Characters and original cast

Source:

Critical response

Marilyn Stasio, in her review for ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' wrote of Thurman that "the effort to play the naughty heroine in a drawing room comedy (which is how director Pam MacKinnon has misdirected her) is beyond her skill set....he illimonfails to draw on any of the many issues bedeviling the president and his minions, missing his chance to turn this mannered trifle into a substantive political drama." ''The Guardian'' reviewer wrote: "The play’s at its best when characters trade wisecracks about Beltway politics and make shrewd observations about what motivates its power-hungry practitioners; it’s at its worst when it reaches higher, for emotional beats that feel clunky and strained..." and noted Thurman's "electric presence".Nevins, Jake
" 'The Parisian Woman' review – Uma Thurman shines in Trump-inspired Broadway debut"
''The Guardian'', November 30, 2017

References

External links

Internet Broadway Database Listing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parisian Woman 2013 plays Plays set in Washington, D.C.